The fiscal year of the Township shall begin on the first day
of January and end on the last day of December of each year.
On or before the 15th day of November of each year, the Board
of Supervisors shall cause to be prepared a proposed budget for the
ensuing fiscal year. The budget shall contain an outline of the proposed
financial policies of the Township for the ensuing fiscal year. It
shall indicate the major changes proposed from the current year in
financial polices, expenditures and revenues, together with the reason
for such changes.
The budget shall provide a complete financial plan of all Township
funds and activities for the ensuing fiscal year and, except as required
by this Charter, shall be in such form as the Board of Supervisors
may require. The budget shall be organized so as to use the most feasible
combination of expenditures classification by fund, organization unit,
program, purpose or activity, and object. The budget shall contain,
inter alia, the following:
(1) It shall begin with a general summary of its contents.
(2) It shall show in detail all estimated income, indicating the existing
and proposed tax levies, as well as other assessments, fees and charges.
(3) It shall show all proposed expenditures, including debt service,
for the ensuing fiscal year.
(4) It shall show the number of proposed employees in every job classification.
(5) It shall be so arranged as to show comparative figures of estimated
income and expenditures for the ensuing fiscal year and actual income
and expenditures for the preceding fiscal year.
(6) It shall indicate proposed expenditures during the ensuing fiscal
year, detailed by officers, department and agencies, in terms of their
respective work programs and the methods of financing such expenditures.
(7) It shall indicate proposed capital expenditures during the ensuing
fiscal year, detailed by offices, departments and agencies, and the
proposed method of financing each such capital expenditures.
(8) The long-term capital expenditures program shall be projected.
The annual budget shall be a public record and shall be available
for public inspection after submission and prior to adoption, and
after adoption, during regular business hours.
The annual budget shall be adopted by resolution. This action
shall be taken prior to the commencement of the year for which the
budget is prepared. Four weeks prior to adoption, the Supervisors
shall hold one public hearing on the proposed budget. Notice of the
hearing shall be released one week in advance to any newspaper or
other publication of general circulation in the Township, advising
residents that the budget is available for public inspection and the
date and place of the public hearing.
The Board may modify the budget by resolution during the fiscal year for which the budget was adopted; provided, however, that such modification shall not result in expenditures exceeding the estimated income determined as of the time of the modification, and provided one public hearing on the modification is held, released as set forth in Section
C-1145, immediately above.
Adoption of the budget and modifications thereof shall constitute
appropriations for the expenditures set forth therein.
No payment of any funds of the Township shall be made unless
provided for in the budget and approved by the board; provided, however,
that payroll and utility expenditures may be made at the direction
of the Chairman of the Board or the acting Chairman of the Board where
based upon a prior ordinance or contract. All checks or drafts of
the Township shall be signed by the Treasurer and shall be countersigned
by the Chairman of the Board or the acting Chairman of the Board.
[Amended 7-19-2023 by Ord. No. 452]
The Board of Supervisors shall provide for an independent annual
audit of Township accounts by a certified public accountant or accounting
firm duly licensed in Pennsylvania.
It shall be the duty of the appointed auditor to audit, settle,
and adjust all accounts of the Township, including any Township boards,
committees, or commissions that received Township funds during the
immediately preceding calendar year. The Board may also provide for
additional audits as it deems necessary.
The results of the annual audit and a financial statement of
the fiscal affairs of the Township shall be presented to the Township
Manager and made available to the public by the deadline determined
by the Commonwealth following the fiscal year audited.
Before entering upon the duties of their respective offices
or positions, the Township Tax Collector, Auditors, Treasurer, and
secretaries, as well as any other officer, agent or employee of the
Township as the Board may determine, shall execute and file with the
Township corporate surety bonds, conditioned for the honest and faithful
performance of their respective duties, in such sums as shall be fixed
by the Board. The agency placing such bonds shall be determined by
the Board and the premium therefor shall be paid by the Township.
Such bonds may provide for one or more additional obligee in the event
that the officer bonded is acting in a dual or similar capacity with
other political subdivisions or governmental or quasi governmental
entities.